Serving apparatus for dining-tables



- Ll SERVING APPARATUS FOR DINING TABLES.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1919.

1,339,525, v Paten'wd May 11, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LABS ROD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SERVING APPARATUS FOR DINING-TABLES.

Application filed September 25, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LABS Ron, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at WVashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Serving Apparatus for Dining- Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means for holding articles ordinarily placed on dining tables, and is particularly useful in public dining-rooms, lunchrrooms and the like. As is well known, it'is the usual custom to employ' relatively small tables at which a number of guests are seated. As a consequence the tables are crowded with dishes, and there is considerable interference, besides the dan ger of spilling the food. Moreover, it requires the constant atention of waiters to avoid undue congestion of dishes.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical, and at the same time ornate equipment that may be placed in the center of the table, and will constitute not only a holder for the usual table equipment, but will provide means for receiving empty dishes and the like, so that they will be out of the way of the guests and may be removed without annoying or interfering with the latter.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the acompanying drawin s, wherein igure 1 is a view in elevation of the F structure,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough.

Similar reference numerals designate cor-- responding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment disclosed, a relatively heavy base 3 is employed, having a central upstanding hub 4:. A standard 5 has its lower end journaled in the hub. Mounted on this standard are dish-supporting shelves 6. Each of these shelves is preferably stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, being provided with a central depending sleeve or collar 7 through which the standard passes, the shelf being adj ustably fixed to the standard by any suitable means, as for example, a set screw 8. The shelves are preferably circular in form, and their marginal portions are turned downwardly, as shown at 9, to provide a reinforping rim and eliminate the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Serial No. 326,281.

relatively thin edge projecting outwardly. The shelves moreover, as clearly illustrated, are of generally conical shape, in other words, inclined downwardly to the center. This formation has two distinctive advantages. It serves to reinforce and make stiff the shelf, and dishes placed and piled thereon are not liable to fall therefrom. More over any material dripping or spilling from the dishes will seek the center, and not run from the edges.

F or the purpose of supporting condiment containers, a carrier is employed, comprising a circular base plate 10 that is rotatably mounted on the hub 4:, and is provided with upstanding bracket fingers 11 to which is secured a top portion 12 having openings 13 for receiving the containers. The top portion, it will be noted, is journaled on the standard 5 and rests upon the top of the hub 4:.

Means are also provided for holding a pile of napkins. To this end there is mounted on the top of the standard a napkin-supporting shelf let having a depending central cuff 15, in which the upper reduced end 16 of the standard is engaged. The shelf carries three angularly disposed upstanding loops 17 in which the corners of the pile of napkins, indicated at 18, may be engaged. To prevent the napkins being disarranged and blown from their positions, a holder is employed in the form of a yoke 19 having an upturned portion 20, constituting a handle.

Vertical Side arms 21 are slidable in the shelf, these arms terminating at their lower ends in a guide ring 22 that slidably surrounds the standard 5 between the upper or dish holding shelf 6 and the napkin-su porting shelf 14. The device may be ma e as ornamental as desired. Thus in the present embodiment the rear loop 17 is provided with a figure of a spread eagle, as 23.

It will be obvious that this structure is simple, so that it may be cheaply constructed, is practical for the purposes outlined, and will occupy a relatively small amount of space.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Service means for dining tables comprising a base having an upstanding hub having a socket, a standard journaled in the socket of the hub, a dish supporting shelf carried by the standard, and a carrier-for condiment containers having a top wall journaled on the standard above the hub and having sockets to receive the condiment containers, said carrier having a bottom wall spaced from the top wall and constituting a support for said containers, said bottom wall being journaled on the hub of the base;

2. Service means for dining tables comprising a base having a standard, a dish holding shelf carried by the standard, a napkin supporting shelf mounted on the standard, and a napkin clamp coactin with the napkin supporting shelf and having a portion longitudinally slidable on the standard beneath the napkin-supporting shelf.

3. Service means for dining tables comprising a base having a standard, a dish holding shelf carried by the standard, a napkin supporting shelf mounted on the standard, and a napkin clamp comprising a yoke having side arms slidably mounted on the napkin supporting shelf and a guide connected to the side arms and longitudinally slidable on the standard beneath the napkin supporting shelf. r

4. Service means for dining tables comprising a base having a standard, a dish holding shelf carried by the standard, a nap kin supporting shelf, spaced napkin retaining loops upstanding from the napkin supporting shelf and a napkin clamp comprising a yoke having side arms slidably mounted on the napkin supporting shelf and a guide ring carried by the lower ends of the arms and slidable upon the standard between the napkin supporting shelf and the dish holding shelf.

5. Service means for dining tables comprising a base having an upstanding hub, a standard journaled in the hub, a plurality of dish holding shelves mounted on and rotatable with the standard, a carrier for condiment containers having a portion journaled on the standard below the shelves and a portion journaled on the hub, a napkin supporting shelf mounted on the upper end of the standard, and a napkin clamp comprising a yoke slidable in the napkin supporting shelf and having a guide ring slidable on the standard beneath said shelf.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

LARS ROD. 

